Maybe It's Destiny
by SHSL Despair
Summary: Ever since leaving the Asahina household and starting her college life at Meiji University, Ema couldn't be happier. She's made two new best friends! But summer break is approaching, and after two long years, Ema decides to come back home to Sunshine Residences, bringing along her two best friends. (Full summary inside)
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:**

**Ever since leaving the Asahina household and starting her college life at Meiji University, Ema Asahina couldn't be happier. She's made two new best friends and is in the top ten of her class! But summer break is approaching, and after two long years of not seeing any of her step-brothers (besides Yuusuke), Ema decides to come back home to Sunshine Residences, bringing along her two new best friends. Surprises, love, and unexpected plot twists are bound to occur. Male!OC X Ema, Fem!OC x ?**

**DISCLAIMER: I own absolutely nothing mentioned in this story except for Katsumi and Ryou Tomoe.**

* * *

"Ema!" Katsumi Tomoe waved in an erratic fashion. She and her brother, Ryou were leaning up against a taxi, waiting for their best friend, Ema Asahina. "Hurry! C'mon, the taxi driver is waiting!"

"I'm coming, Katsumi!" Ema couldn't help but smile as she walked a bit faster to her pink-haired friend and her nerdy older brother. She giggled as Ryou waved, brushing his fringe out of his eyes as he looked up from his cellphone. The two blushed as their eyes met, and they quickly looked away, flustered.

Katsumi rolled her eyes, noticing their interaction. She quickly tied up her hair with a scrunchie, tucking away stray strands of vibrant pastel pink hair. "Hurry up lovebirds, we haven't gotten all day you know!" She teased, sticking her tongue out as Ryou shot her a glare.

The boy took Ema's suitcase for her, putting it in the trunk with the rest of their luggage. "Shut up, Katsumi."

"Thank you, Ryou-kun," Ema said quietly, causing Ryou to cough awkwardly to hide his blush.

"No problem. Now let's get into the car, yeah?" He rubbed the back of his head, whistling.

Katsumi groaned. "Ew! You guys are so in love it's _sick!_" She pulled Ema into the car, Ryou shutting the trunk and climbing in after them.

"K-Katsu-chan!" Ema swatted her friend on the shoulder, mentally screaming as Ryou scooted in next to her. "We're just friends okay?"

"Suuuuuure," Katsumi drawled, grabbing her hand and patting it. "Whatever you say, princess!"

"Katsu…" Ryou said in a warning tone, shutting the door and buckling in.

"Yeah yeah~" Katsu laughed, buckling herself in too.

"So, are you two ready to head to Sunshine Residences?" Ema was very excited, exhilarated even. She had been away from the mansion for so long, and had rarely seen her stepbrothers at the two years she was away for college. "You'll meet all thirteen of my brothers you know!"

"Damn Ema, your mom was busy in the bedroom, huh?" Katsumi joked, nudging Ema in the side.

"W-well... Some of them were adopted so I—"

"It's fine, Ema. You don't need to explain." Ryou looked to Katsumi, eyes widening in a threating way. "_Right, _Katsumi?"

"Right," Katsumi mumbled, hiding her face in Ema's shoulder, clinging onto her. Ema laughed and patted her head.

* * *

"Hey, remember when all of us first met?" Katsumi piped up, after 30 minutes of comfortable silence.

"Huh? Oh—oh yeah," Ryou jolted awake, shaking himself out of his light sleep. "Oh… oh _yeah._" He slapped himself on the forehead lightly, groaning a bit. "Remind us about it why dontcha?"

"Ema tripped and fell on top of you~" Katsumi snickered, pinching Ema's cheek. "Hehe you guys were so red and embarrassed!"

"I-It was an accident, remember, Katsu-chan?" Ema covered her face with her hands, cringing at the memory.

"And Ryou didn't move, he just held you to his chest as you guys fell~ Isn't that right Ema-chan?" Katsumi was having a grand time teasing her brother and her best friend. It was just too cute to resist when they both started to turn scarlet!

"Shut up, Katsu!" Ryou roared, reaching over behind Ema and swatting at his sister. "Goddamn, you are so frickin' annoying you know that?!"

"It's why you love me!" Katsumi cackled, using Ema as a human shield. After all, Ryou would never dare to hit Ema, she was too precious to him. "Can't hit me, can't hit me!"

Ryou ran his hands through his hair in frustration, leaning back in his seat with a groan. "Y'know, if Ema wasn't between us right now, I'd be punching you in the face."

"As if~!" Katsu scoffed while Ema looked on with a horrified face. "Don't worry, Ema-chan! Ryou is just kidding."

"You wish," her brother replied, shooting her a glare.

"Okay guys, enough with the fighting!" Ema scolded the two of them, acting like a mother. "You guys are like cat and dog, aren't you?"

"We can't all be as sweet and nice as you Ema!" Ryou snapped unintentionally, the blood draining from his face as he saw Ema's face look crestfallen. "No—No that's—uh that's not what I meant—I just—agh—"

"What he means is," Katsumi gave him a cheeky grin. "He _wuvs_ you! And he'd _never_ do anything to hurt you because you mean _way_ _too much_ to him!"

"Katsumi, shut up!" Ryou moaned, leaning back in his seat and covering his face. "You make everything so much worse than it is already."

"Hehe!" Katsumi giggled cutely. Ema rolled her eyes at her two best friends, but she honestly wouldn't have had it any other way. They kept her happy, and in return, she kept them happy.

_What weird kids…_ The taxi driver mused as he glanced at the rearview mirror, reaching up and adjusting it. _College does crazy things to people I guess._

* * *

**A/N: Hello everyone! Thank you for reading the first chapter of _Maybe It's Destiny._ This isn't my first fanfiction, but it's the first one I've posted on _this_ account. Well, I hope you enjoyed this short little introductory chapter! Hopefully the next one will be a bit longer? Who knows? Now my dear readers, review, review, review! Reviews are what keep me going, especially the long ones. :)**

**By the way, Katsumi's, Ryou's, and Ema's outfits will be linked on my profile, so go check 'em out!**


	2. Chapter 2

The taxi ride became quite long, due to traffic. The low, comforting rumbling of the taxi and the lack of rest Ema had the night before was a recipe that lulled Ema right to sleep as the conversation between the three died down. She tried to keep her head up, but it proved impossible as her head drooped onto Ryou's shoulder within minutes.

Ryou was just running his hand through his dark blue hair, which he had just dyed recently, when he felt a little weight on his shoulder. He turned his head and found Ema sleeping on his shoulder, her breathing even and soft. His face flushed crimson, brown eyes widening as he lifted his arm and slowly put it around her to make her more comfortable. _Holyshitholyshitholyshitholyshit! _Thoughts raced through his mind like bullets. The main one being, _She's __**touching**__ me!_ It wasn't too bad, however. He actually didn't mind at all. It was just the fact that Ema looked so innocent and cute while sleeping, and her lips looked very kissable and—

_Click! _

Ryou's head snapped up as Katsumi obtained a picture of them on her phone. "Ah~ The wonders of technology," the rosette giggled mockingly, waving her phone around. "I think I'll keep this one."

"Kat—su—mi—To—mo—e—" Ryou gritted his teeth, putting emphasis on every word in a hushed voice. "Give me that damned phone or so help me God."

"Ummmm," Katsumi put a finger to her cheek, her hazel eyes glinting with a mischievous twinkle. "How about…. _Nope!_" She blew a kiss to her brother, cackling quietly. "Sorry brother dear~"

"When we get to Sunshine Residences, I will rip your head off."

"I'd like to see you try."

Katsumi practically leaped out of the car two hours later when they finally reached Sunshine Residences. "Finally, I can stretch my legs!" She sang in a high-pitched voice, twirling in circles as she took in the size of the mansion. "Woah, this place is _huge!_"

"Ema? Ema, wake up. We're here." Ryou shook the girl softly, trying to get her awake. "Hey, hey, wake up. Ema~? Ema, we're here~"

"Mmm?" Ema's eyes fluttered open. She looked up at Ryou, and then her eyes widened in realization. "O—oh my god!" She sat up in a flash. "I'm sorry Ryou-kun! I didn't realize that I was sleeping on you! Please forgive me—"

"Hey!" Ryou cut her off, grabbing her shoulders. "It's _fine_ okay? No need to worry." He smiled at her, and the smile was returned. "Now c'mon, I'll get the stuff out of the trunk and we can head to the front door, alright?"

"O—okay," Ema stuttered, nodding and climbing out of the car. Very mortified, she made her way to Katsumi with her head in her hands.

"Ema-chan? What's wrong?" Katsumi asked, putting an arm around her best friend. "Something wrong?"

"I…" Ema started off in a quiet voice. "I fell asleep on your brother!" She blurted out, groaning. "Oh, he must think I'm weird now!"

"How is falling asleep on another person's shoulder weird?" Katsumi laughed, shaking her head in disbelief. "It's absolutely normal, Ema-chan. Nothing to worry 'bout. Besides, I think he liked it!" Katsumi winked and skipped off to go help her brother unload the trunk, leaving Ema to gape at her with an open mouth.

"E—eh?!" Ema's cheeks were tinged pink. She sighed and patted her own cheeks, following after the rosette to go help her and Ryou.

"Alright, the front door is this way!" Ema couldn't wait to open the door and greet her step brothers. To be honest, she missed them a lot! "C'mon, hurry!"

Ryou had a fond smile on his face as he watched Ema flounce around. _She must be so excited… She hasn't seen anyone but Yuusuke in what—two years?_ He chuckled as Katsumi joined Ema, the two jumping around and practically sprinting to the door. "Wait up, girls! You're gonna trip if you don't slow down ya know!"

"Whatever, slowpoke!" Katsumi called over her shoulder, her floral printed backpack hanging off one shoulder, and her turquoise rolling suitcase dragging along behind her on the concrete.

"Hurry, Ryou-kun!" Ema called over her shoulder as well, holding her striped pink suitcase with both hands. "We're late enough as it is!"

"I know, I know! I'll hurry!" Ryou picked up the pace, quickly catching up with the girls. HE had an advantage over them in height, he was 6'0'' after all! His lanky frame and long legs made him faster than the petite girls, and soon he was ahead of them.

"No fair!" Katsumi whined, being only 5'4''. "You have long legs!"

"Well, we did tell him to hurry up!" Ema giggled. She herself was only 5'5'', and Ryou practically dwarfed the two of them.

"Beat you guys," Ryou smirked and patted them both on the head as they reached the door. "Haha, who's the slowpoke now?"

"It's only because you're so fuckin' tall!" Katsumi huffed, smacking him on the arm. "I hate you."

"Yeah right," Ryou tousled her hair. "Whatever, kid. You're just jealous 'cause you're a shortie."

Ema laughed, fishing her keys out of her pocket. She pulled them out, smiling to herself as she found the right one and inserted it into the keyhole. "Are you two ready?"

"Are _you_ ready?" Ryou shrugged, putting his hands in his pockets. "You're the one who's seeing them after two years yanno."

"Yeah, she's ready!" Katsumi cheered. "Open the door! Open the door! Open the door!" She chanted, urging Ema on.

"Alright, here it goes~" Ema turned the key. Hearing the _click_ of the door unlocking, she grabbed the handle and turned it as well, pushing the door open. "I'm home everyone!"

She was greeted with silence and darkness.

Katsumi peeked over Ema's shoulder, frowning when she noticed that the house was seemingly empty. "What the hell?! What a crap family they aren't even here to welcome you home!"

"Katsu, don't be rude." Ryou reprimanded his sister. "They're all probably busy. Let's go inside Ema, maybe someone is home and just didn't hear you yet?"

"O—okay…" Ema sighed, removing her keys from the keyhole and walking inside. "I guess they forgot I was coming home for summer break…"

"You've got a nice place though Ema," Katsumi said cheerfully. "Really spacious and nice décor—"

"Surprise! Welcome home!"

Katsumi and Ema screamed as the lights suddenly turned on and all thirteen of the Asahina brothers jumped out from various places.

"JESUS CHRIST—" Ryou even jumped a little too. He leaned against his suitcase as everyone calmed down. "A little warning next time?" He breathed deeply, looking at all of Ema's step brothers. There definitely was a lot of them.

Ema's eyes started to tear up, and she started to cry.

"E—Ema? What's wrong?" The eldest of the Asahina brothers rushed over to Ema's side. Katsumi stepped back, clinging to Ryou's arm. Slowly, one by one, the rest of the Asahina brothers crowded around Ema as she cried.

"There's… a lot of them," Katsumi said dumbly.

"No shit, Sherlock," Ryou hissed, eyes narrowing as Ema was surrounded by guys. Sure, they were her step brothers and stuff, but it sort of pissed Ryou off to the extreme.

"I—I'm okay!" Ema hiccupped, wiping her eyes. "I'm just—I'm so happy to see you all!" She broke into another fit of happy tears, hugging the ones closest to her. "I'm sorry for crying, but I'm just so happy!"

"I can tell," Katsumi's lips twitched up into a grin as Ryou looked on with a face full of jealously. "Hey, big brother, are you jealous?" She asked teasingly, patting his arm. "Don't worry, you'll get to whisk Ema away to the bedroom later~"

"Shut up ya damn pervert!" Ryou screamed, attracting attention he did not want. "Get your goddamn mind out of the gutter!" His face was red as a tomato, and it looked like steam was coming out of his ears.

"Oh, Ema, you brought friends?" Masaomi walked over to Ryou and Katsumi. "My apologies. I forgot Ema was bringing two others with her. My name is Masaomi Asahina, it's nice to meet you two."

"Katsumi Tomoe!" She smiled brightly, mentally screaming. _Are all of them this handsome?_ She thought, biting her lip to keep from squealing as she shook his hands.

"Ryou Tomoe," Ryou nudged Katsumi's shoulder with his elbow, shaking Masaomi's hand as well. "Don't mind me idiot sister. She's a mess around all boys."

"Am not!" Katsumi gasped, pinching him.

"OW!" Ryou glared at her, hissing a little.

Katsumi looked smug. Then she averted her attention to a small boy, around 12 years old, who looked absolutely adorable. "Ooh!" She squealed out loud, rushing over to him as scooping him up in her arms. "And what's your name cutie? You're absolutely adorable!"

"Let me rephrase that." Ryou sighed, crossing his arms. "She's a mess around _cute _boys."

"No worries," Masaomi chuckled. "Wataru loves the attention."

And so, Ema stopped her crying. She hugged all her stepbrothers, and was very shocked when she found Yuusuke. "Yuusuke-kun! I thought you were staying behind for extra classes!"

"Eh… That was a lie," Yuusuke shrugged, trying to act cool when Ema hugged him. "I don't need extra classes. I'm not that dumb!"

Ema laughed, remembering Ryou and rushing over to him. "Ryou-kun! Come over here, I need to introduce you to my brothers!"

"Ah, Ema that's fine I can introduce myself—" But it was too late, Ema already grabbed his hand and dragged him over to where all the others were. Ryou could only focus on the fact that Ema was holding his hand, however.

"Ema, have you found a boyfriend already?" Kaname asked, a hand over his heart.

"No! We're not dating!" Ryou replied quickly, shaking his head. "We're just—we're just friends! That's all, haha!"

"Oh… Then it's good to hear that my little sister hasn't been taken yet!" Kaname laughed haughtily, which made Ryou raise his eyebrows.

"That's Kaname. He's a monk," Ema whispered to Ryou, still holding his hand. "He's quite a womanizer, so I suggest keeping Katsu-chan away from him!" She joked, squeezing his hand gently.

"Y-yeah…" Ryou stuttered, his fringe covering his eyes as he looked down at their intertwined hands. _Holy shit. She's actually holding my hand! Holy fuckin' shiiiiiiit!_

And so the rest of the day progressed well. Ryou and Katsumi were introduced to the Asahina family, and were welcomed warmly. Katsumi had grown very attached to Wataru in the very few hours she and Ryou had been there, and Wataru returned all the affection. Ryou on the other hand got along very well with Natsume when he picked up one of the zombie games his company made. To say the least, Natsume and Ryou were at the console for hours, screaming profanities, being scolded by Masaomi for being too loud and for swearing in front of Wataru, being joined by Ema halfway through a game, and trying to beat each other's high score.

"Whoops," Katsumi mumbled as her stomach growled. "I forgot that I haven't eaten yet. Do you guys have food?" She asked, squishing Wataru in her arms.

"Ne~ ne~ Katsu-nee has a loud stomach!" Wataru giggled, poking Katsumi's tummy.

"Yeah kid, I haven't eaten in _forever_!" She exaggerated, getting up and stretching.

"I have some food already prepared in the kitchen," Ukyo got up as well. "I'll go get it."

"Thank you, Ukyo-san!" Katsumi called, getting a smile in return. "What a nice guy," She said out loud.

"Ukyo-nii's like a mother," Subaru mumbled, not looking up from his phone.

"Well, he's gettin' us food, so I don't care whether he acts like a mother or not!" Katsumi grinned cheekily, poking Subaru's cheek, much to his dismay.

"Goddamn you Natsume-san!" Ryou hissed, pressing the buttons on the controller like a madman. "You made these games! Can't you go a little easier on me and Ema?"

"Nah," Natsume replied shortly. "I'd rather not."

Ema was actually quite skilled at the game, much to Ryou's surprise. "Ema, jeez, I didn't know you were so good at this game! Why didn't you tell me?"

Ema shrugged, keeping her eyes on the screen as she sat on the floor between Natsume and Ryou. "You never asked."

"Alright everyone, who's hungry?" Ukyo called. He brought out a massive pot of tempura udon, and the smell immediately attracted everyone's attention.

"Wow Ukyo-nii, you really outdid yourself this time!" Fuuto grinned, being the first one to the table.

"Well, it's to celebrate Yuusuke's and Ema's homecoming. As well as Ryou's and Katsumi's now that they're here."

"Tch, Katsumi and Ryou aren't even family though—" Fuuto started to complain, but Tsubaki cut him off with a flick to the forehead.

"Ah, shut up kid. We celebrated your ex-girlfriend's birthday here, didn't we?" Tsubaki reminded him.

"Whatever," Fuuto huffed grumpily, everyone else sitting down at the table.

"Wow Ema, your family is great!" Ryou whispered to the girl, sitting to her right.

"Yeah girlie!" Katsumi agreed, sitting on Ema's left. "And me and Ryou haven't had tempura udon in _so _long!" She let out a squeal. "I love you guys, like seriously. Can I live here?" She joked, earning a couple chuckles and laughs from everyone around the table.

"I wouldn't mind another Nee-san!" Wataru cheered, clinging onto Katsumi's arm. "Masaomi-nii, can Katsu-nee live with us?"

"Sure, Wataru," Masaomi nodded, joking of course. But it was enough to send Katsumi and Wataru into joyous chatter.

Immediately after dinner, it was back to the couch. Everyone, stuffed with food, sprawled every which way. Natsume, Ryou, and Ema however, went back to their intense game of zombie hunting.

"I haven't spoken much to you two yet," Katsumi piped up, sittiing in front of Azusa and Tsubaki on the floor. "Name's Katsumi Tomoe, if I haven't told you already."

"I'm Tsubaki," he grinned.

"And I'm Azusa," the other sighed, their voices sounding very familiar to Katsumi.

"Oh you were in Kuroshitsuji weren't you?" Katsumi clapped her hands together in excitement, looking at Tsubaki. "And you were in Dangan Ronpa: The Animation!" She squealed, looking at Azusa. "Oh the characters you two played were my favorites!"

"Oh really?" Tsubaki smirked, nudging Azusa in the side. Azusa chucked and shook his head.

"Don't flatter Tsubaki too much, Katsumi," Azusa told her. "It will inflate his ego more than it is already."

"I died—again!" Ryou groaned, smacking himself on the forehead as he died for the second time in a row. "How do you guys manage to stay alive on Expert mode?"

"Practice and late nights," Ema mumbled, still focused on the game.

"I made it," Natsume smirked. "I know how to beat it in the simplest way possible."

Two hours passed, and everyone was either asleep, or falling asleep. The console was shut down, and snores were already being heard. Ryou was curled up on the floor, his head in Ema's lap and her hand in his hair. Ema looked quite peaceful, but the way her head was on the couch was definitely going to be a pain in the neck the next morning, _literally._

Katsumi was in between Masomi and Wataru, her arms encasing Wataru in a hug, and her back pressed up against Masaomi's side. Everyone else was scattered around them. Kaname, the triplets, and Subaru were all on the floor, beer bottles in hand and blackout drunk. The others were already upstairs in bed or in the cushioned chairs around the room.

It was certainly a wild night, so to speak.

**A/N: WHERE AM I GOING WITH THIS I DO NOT KNOW. Anyways, hello friends! Welcome to Chapter Two of Maybe It's Destiny. ((Maybe I should change the title- /dead)) So, did you like the chapter? Yes? Maybe? No? Well whatever you say, please leave it in a review! I'd love to hear from you guys!  
**

**Oh and one more thing. I'd like you guys to vote on who you would like to see Katsumi with in the next chapter! Ema and Ryou are going to be doing something and so I'd like to see Katsumi with someone too ;) Not Wataru however, because let's face it, they're not gonna end up as a couple. xD The poll will be on my profile!**

**So vote, vote, vote, and review, review, review!**


	3. Chapter 3

"Huh…?" Katsumi's eyes fluttered open. Sunlight was streaming in through the slits in the curtains. Katsumi ran a hand through the rat's nest she called hair. She rubbed her eyes, trying to gather her bearings. It seemed she was the first one awake! She looked to the side, finding a clock and squinting to read the time through her sleep-fogged eyes. It was only six-thirty AM, which was pretty early for her.

"Mmm, it's so early…" She said softly to herself, looking around at her surroundings. Masaomi and Wataru were both sleeping soundly beside her. She smiled softly as she moved the pediatrician's hair from his face, and moved the grade schooler's head into a more comfortable position. _It's nice to spend some time with new people._ She got up, making sure not to make a sound and disrupt anyone's sleep.

She walked around the room, adjusting everyone into a more comfortable position. She pulled a blanket over Yuusuke, removed the beer bottles from Kaname's, the triplets', and Subaru's hands, adjusted Ema's head, and removed Ukyo's glasses and placed them on the nearby coffee table. She giggled as a loud snore erupted from Ryou, which miraculously did not wake up anyone else.

"I can't believe they welcomed us so graciously," Katsumi mused, stepping over Kaname and heading to her suitcase and purse, which was still by the door. She dug through her purse a bit, taking out her phone and checking for any missed calls or messages.

_Ex-Boyfriend – Missed Call (3)_

_ Okaasan – Text Message (10)_

_ Mimi-chan – Missed Call (1)_

"Shit, ten text messages from okaasan?" Katsumi cursed, quickly unlocking her phone. She'd have to call her friend later, and no way in hell was she going to call back Jun.

_Katsumi, you and Ryou are together right?_

_ Otousan and I will be out of town the whole summer break. I'm sorry!_

_ We will bring you souvenirs from Osaka, don't worry!_

_ Otousan says he loves you too._

_ Tell Ryou we love him! Hope you guys are having fun at Ema's place. You are with her, right?_

_ Katsumi. Why aren't you answering?_

_ Are you busy? Is that it?_

_ Please tell me you aren't out drinking._

_ I trust you to be responsible._

_ Please reply when you get these so we know you are okay._

Katsumi quickly sent back a reply.

_Sorry! Ryou and me are together, yeah. And I know, you told us last week. I love you guys too. We're at Ema's place, Ryou's sleeping though. Sorry I didn't answer last night, Ema had a party and we were dragged into it as well. Don't worry, we weren't drinking. I know! We are responsible, okaasan, trust me. We're okay. Have fun in Osaka!_

She sighed, slipping her phone into the back pocket of her galaxy patterned shorts. Covering her mouth as she yawned, Katsumi made her way back to Masaomi. She hovered over him for a second, not wanting to disturb him. But she did need to use the restroom and freshen up, _badly._

"Uh… Masaomi-san?" She placed her hand on his arm gently. "Masaomi-san? Um… Wake up please?" She whispered. Luckily it was enough to rouse him.

"Hmm?" Masaomi's eyes opened slowly. He looked a bit out of it but soon woke up fully. "Yes…?" He looked a bit annoyed, it was pretty early after all. Katsumi winced and cursed at herself.

"Where is the bathroom?" She awkwardly smiled. "If you don't mind, I need to freshen up…" She trailed off.

"Oh yes of course! The bathroom is over there," He pointed to his left, his expression changing into a softer one. "Second door on the right."

"Thanks!" She nodded and quickly stepped over the sleeping bodies on the floor before making her way back to her luggage and hauling it to the bathroom. She closed the door behind her and turned on the lights, blinking rapidly at the sudden change in brightness.

"Woah. I look like _shit!_" Katsumi whispered harshly to herself. Her makeup was definitely smudged, and she looked like a zombie. She cursed and dug through her purse for her makeup wipes. Luckily she still had some.

She made quick work of wiping off all her makeup, leaving her with a fresh face. "I hope they don't mind if I use their shower…" Katsumi mumbled to herself, stripping herself free of all her clothing and dumping them in the corner. Unzipping her suitcase, she grabbed her towel and walked over to the spacious shower. Hanging her towel on the rack, she hopped in, standing there for a moment before twisting the shower knob to let the water run.

"COLD, COLD, COLD!" She accidentally screamed too loud, jumping out of the shower as fast as she could. Seconds later she heard concerned, and confused voices... Looks like she had woken some people up. _Whoops, _she thought, someone knocking on the door.

"Yo, idiot, you okay?" Ryou's sleep-heavy voice came through the doorway. "You woke half of us up with your screams.

"Sorry!" Katsumi winced. "I'm taking a shower and the water was cold…"

"Whatever, dimwit, just keep it down," Ryou mumbled.

Ryou sighed as he walked away. Slowly, he made his way back to the living room, where half of it's occupants were awake and dazed.

"Was that Katsu-nee?" Wataru mumbled, rubbing his eyes. "Is she okay?"

"She's fine, kid. Just got into a too cold shower," Ryou answered, ruffling Wataru's hair as he passed by.

He squatted down beside Ema, who was still out cold. "Hey, wake up." He whispered. He pushed her shoulder lightly, trying to rouse her as gently as he could. "C'mon, wakey wakey~"

Fuuto watched them from his place on the couch. He was still pretending to be asleep, but one eye was open just a crack. _What the hell is he doing? Who does he think he is? Touching Nee-chan like that…. Hmph._ A frown spread across his lips, and he furrowed his eyebrows in jealousy.

"Mmph…?" Ema slowly awoke, a small, funny simper on her face. "Goodmorning, Ryou-kun…"

"Mornin'," he greeted her back, the urge to grin being hard to resist. "Ya know, you look cute in the morning," he blurted out. Mentally smacking himself, he got up and held out a hand, not looking directly at her anymore. "Get up then. Time to wake up. We still haven't changed from last night yanno," He said with a bashful expression.

Ema wasn't able to process what Ryou had just said, her mind was still muddled with dreams after all. "Mhmm…" She mumbled, grabbing his hand and pulling herself up. She stretched and rubbed at her eyes, trying to wake herself up. "What time is it?"

"Uhhhh…" Ryou quickly looked around the room, looking for the clock. "Oh, it's seven." He moaned and harshly rubbed his face. "Too early."

"I'm gonna go change…" Ema murmured quietly, walking like a zombie to her suitcase which was still by the door. "D'you wanna use the bathroom first…? There's another one over there…"" She looked back over her shoulder to Ryou, eyes half closed, and pointed to a unoccupied bathroom over by the kitchen.

"Yeah that'd be nice," Ryou agreed, grabbing his own suitcase and patting Ema on the head as he passed by, making the brunette giggle happily. "Thanks, Ema."

"Mmm no problem," Ema waved as he left to go to the bathroom, the same simper on her face.

Yuusuke meanwhile was staring at the exchange from afar, eyebrows raised. What the hell was going on between Ema and Ryou? Ema looked at him with a lovesick look, which made _Yuusuke _feel sick. He was green with envy as he stalked toward Ema, grabbing her by the shoulder and turning her around.

"Hey, what's goin' on between you and Ryou, huh?" Yuusuke confronted her, a tinge of pain in his face. "Ya love him or somethin'?!"

"Hm? No!" Ema shook her head, cheeks pink. "We're just really good friends Yuusuke-kun! And besides… I haven't seen him or Katsu-chan that happy in who knows how long…" Ema sighed, moving away from Yuusuke. "I'm just happy for him, okay?" She said, with an air of finality.

"Y—yeah, whatever," Yuusuke frowned, feeling a little guilty that he was being so jealous and harsh. "Sorry."

"It's fine," Ema shook her head, waving it off. "I'm going to go shower now…" She said awkwardly, walking away.

* * *

Katsumi soon got out of the shower. She breathed in deeply and exhaled loudly, feeling squeaky clean. She quickly brushed her teeth and then dried herself off, changing into new clothes. She jumped up and down, trying to pull on her skinny jeans. She wiggled around a little before finally getting them up on her hips. _I need new jeans. _She thought to herself, patting her thighs and chuckling inwardly. She put on her favorite black strapless bandeau and pulled a loose wolf muscle tank over her head. She took her mildly wet hair and put it into a bun, pulling her bangs out of her face. She grabbed a heart-shaped silver necklace and put it around her neck, slipping on some socks and her white creepers. Looking herself up and down in the mirror, she nodded at herself and began to pack up her dirty laundry into one section of her suitcase before picking her purse up and lugging her suitcase out of the bathroom.

"G'morning, Katsu-nee!" Wataru greeted Katsumi as she stepped out of the bathroom and back into the living room. "You screamed really loud earlier…."

"Sorry 'bout that," Katsumi rubbed the back of her head awkwardly as she put her luggage in a corner. "The water was _really, really_ cold!" She laughed, heading over to him at the dining table and sitting down next to him.

Wataru laughed along with her and they began an animated conversation about God knows what. The responses were too rapid fire that no one but them could understand.

"What are you guys even talking about?" Louis smiled and shook his head as he passed by the two, ruffling their hair gently.

Ryou soon got out of the shower as well, without any incident. He was in his favorite Iron Man arc reactor t-shirt and his comfiest pair of jeans and high top Vans. He wore a snapback on top of his head and a thick black leather wristband on his left arm. "Glad to see everyone's awake," he commented, mostly to himself. "Mornin' guys."

He got a couple of greetings back as he sat down next to Katsumi at the table. "'Sup?"

"You were snoring yanno. It was a miracle you didn't wake anyone up," Katsumi joked.

"Yeah yeah yeah…" Ryou scoffed.

"Hey Ryou," Tsubaki called. "Mind helping us move Subaru and Natsume onto the couch? They're still asleep and heavy as—"

"Tsubaki! Language. Wataru's right there you know," Azusa said to his twin, gesturing to the boy who was kicking his legs while smiling innocently.

Ryou chuckled and got up, walking over to the twins. "Alright, lift on three?" He asked, grabbing Natsume's legs while Tsubaki and Azusa grabbed his arms.

"Alright. One, two, three…" And the three heaved and pulled a Natsume up. He was as heavy as a rock, especially since he was in deep slumber. "Jesus, had too much to drink last night, huh buddy?" Ryou joked, the three of them moving onto Subaru.

"Hey Ryou, you got a girlfriend?" Tsubaki asked him as they finished moving Subaru up onto the couch. "It's hard to believe that you don't have one, considering how hot you are and all," he joked.

"Haha very funny," Ryou replied sarcastically. "And yeah I do—well, I _had_ a girlfriend." His mood dropped significantly, and his face looked very hurt.

* * *

_Ryou woke up with a start. He groaned, hearing his phone ring. He fumbled around before finally feeling it on the bedside drawer. He raised an eyebrow as he looked at the caller ID. It was Reika's mother. How unusual, she almost never called. _

_ "Hello?" he answered, albeit a little tired. It was the middle of the night after all. _

_ "Ryou? Ryou! Thank god you answered!" Reika's mother's voice was wracked with sobs and hiccups, and she seemed very upset._

_ "Yumi-san? Something wrong?" Ryou asked, sitting up. He was careful to be quiet, so he wouldn't wake up his roommate and anyone else in the dorm. The walls were pretty thin after all. _

_ "It's Reika—she—she—" Yumi was clearly in agony. "She—car crash—hospital—augh!"_

_ "Woah woah woah, what?!" Ryou's eyes widened. Was this a prank?! He'd been dating Reika for over three years… Could this really be happening? "Give me the address, Yumi-san. I'll be there soon."_

_ It wasn't a joke. Reika was involved in a car collision while it was raining heavily that night. Ryou got to the hospital too late, and Reika was dead right before he entered her room. Everything was happening too fast. Ryou couldn't comprehend what was happening. He comforted Reika's parents, but he himself was numb, void of emotion as the white sheet was placed over Reika's face._

_ He was only seventeen at time, just a freshman in college. _

_ How could such a terrible thing happen? _

_ The funeral… He couldn't even remember what happened at the funeral. In fact, he didn't even remember going. He was just too depressed and shocked at the sudden death to attend his girlfriend's funeral. _

_ He was in denial for many months. The only person who could really hold a conversation with him was Katsumi, and even then they were barely ten minute conversations. _

_ But things changed when he met Ema. For once, in the long two years he was in depression, he __**smiled.**__ He went out, made more friends, and even tried to let go of the past._

* * *

Ryou shook his head, ridding himself of the memory. "She died two years ago," he said in a low voice. "Died in a car crash…" He trailed off, not wanting to speak about it anymore. "Sorry, we shouldn't be talking about this. I just met you two anyways," he laughed, though the hurt in his eye was evident.

Tsubaki and Azusa didn't say anything after that.

* * *

Katsumi was helping Ukyo prepare breakfast voluntarily. "My mom taught me how to cook yanno, when I first met her and Ryou and dad," she said cheerfully, speaking without thinking. "I'm so glad I met her six years ago, I don't know what I'd do if I didn't!"

"You met your mother six years ago…?" Ukyo furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, not understanding what Katsumi meant.

Katsumi paused her vegetable cutting, setting the knife down and leaning heavily over the counter as she relived a moment she'd like to forget.

* * *

_They couldn't take care of her anymore. Besides, her birth was unplanned anyways. There was no money for a third person and they were on the verge of being kicked out of their apartment._

_ Katsumi remembered being pulled by the arm, down the street. She remembered kicking and refusing to go, wanting to stay with her parents. What she couldn't remember was her parents' faces. She remembered their voices, how they yelled at her to obey and stay where they placed her at the orphanage._

_ She cried and cried and cried until she could cry no more. She was pulled into the orphanage, she was given a warm bath, food, and new clothes. She was placed with seven other orphan girls in one dorm, and she learned that they were abandoned too. _

_ She got through her abandonment with the help of her friends, and when she was adopted by the Tomoe family, she was a completely different person._

_ She was coldhearted and kept to herself. She was like a robot, cold and unfeeling._

_ But days and months passed, and eventually Ryou got her to open up, to reveal her real self. Ryou got Katsumi to forget her old life, and focus on the second chance she had at having a family, which is just what she needed._

* * *

"Oh, nothing." Katsumi waved it off, laughing. "Anyways, back to preparing breakfast, yeah?" She giggled.

Ukyo nodded, understanding that it was a subject to be touched.

* * *

**A/N: Ahahaha where is this going? I have no idea. xD I do know that I **_**will **_**continue this fanfic, however. I'm really determined to finish this one! **

**So, I didn't get any reviews or votes on who you guys want Katsumi to be with in Chapter four, and that's a really crucial thing! I need your opinions :(Please vote and review? **

**Links to Ryou's and Katsumi's outfits this chapter will be on my profile. :)**


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